The present review is aimed to compare two AV receivers - Sony STR-DN1080 vs Sony STR-DH790 that are meant to satisfy the needs of cinema and music lovers.
Considered AV receivers have the same number of channels 7.2. Regarding power, then STR-DN1080 has such a W/Ohm ratio - 120/6 when STR-DH790 has a power of 90/6. The THD is the same and is 0.09%.
Characteristics of digital to analog converter (DAC) are different, 96 KHz/24-bit for STR-DN1080 and 192 KHz/24-bit for the STR-DH790. Both the STR-DN1080 and the STR-DH790 support Bi-amping. Each of the AV receivers can transmit an audio signal directly to the amplifier and bypasses any DSP processing.
Only the Sony STR-DN1080 can connect to the Internet via WI-FI. Rivals from our review have Bluetooth support. Only the STR-DN1080 supports Spotify. Compared AV receivers retain the quality of 4K/60Hz signal when transmitting from a source to a TV or projector. HDMI signal transmission in standby mode is implemented in each of the devices. Both competitors are not able to scale the HDMI signal. Dolby Vision technology found support only on the STR-DH790.
The Sony STR-DN1080 has 6/2 HDMI inputs/outputs versus 4/1 HDMI connectors of the Sony STR-DH790. The HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature supports both devices. HDMI eARC is available in each model. The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) feature is present in most modern AV receivers and the models in our comparison are no exception. Both models support the standard HDCP 2.2. Receivers do not have a built-in phono stage for connecting a vinyl player. An ECO mode is not present in each of the AV receivers. Both STR-DN1080 and STR-DH790 can be configured using the Setup assistant.
Both devices have support for Dolby Atmos multichannel audio format. The surround sound technology DTS:X is supported by devices under review.